Friday, March 27, 2009

Does Satan EXIST? - Last Night's NIGHTLINE Story

I found this discussion last night intriguing. Wouldn't it be like the devil to gain the assistance of an Ex-Spirit filled Pastor (Carlton Pearson), and use some sinister strategy to make folks believe that he does not exist? See the deception in action. Posted in two-parts. Don't get caught slippin!



MARY MARY IS HITTING THE ROAD


Mary Mary have announced dates for a North American spring tour. The tour will begin April 8th and contuine through to April 29th.

The Mary Mary 2009 spring club tour will mark their first live show since the beautiful gospel music singers took home this year’s Best Gospel Performance Grammy for “Get Up,” one of the key tracks on their #1 Gospel album, “The Sound”.
Mary Mary 2009 Spring Concert Itinerary

4/8: Annapolis,MD Rams Head On Stage
4/9: New York City Sound of Brazil “S.O.B.’s”
4/13: Alexandria, VA Birchmere Music Hall
4/14: Foxboro, MA Showcase Live
4/17: New Orleans, LA House of Blues
4/18: Lake Charles, LA Lake Charles Civic Center
4/24: Las Vegas, NV House of Blues
4/25: Phoenix, AZ Celebrity Theatre
4/26: Los Angeles, LA Sunset Strip House of Blues
4/27: Oakland, CA Yoshi’s
4/28: Sacramento, CA Crest Theater
4/29: Anaheim, CA House of Blues

Gospel Music History: BIRTHDAY SALUTE TO MATTIE MOSS CLARK


Dr. Mattie Moss Clark was a gospel choir director and the mother of the world-renowned gospel vocal group, The Clark Sisters. Clark is credited for creating the three-part harmony (separating vocal parts into soprano, alto and tenor), a technique which is prevalent among gospel choirs today.

Born the seventh of nine children on March 26, 1925 in Selma, Alabama. She began playing the piano when she was six years old. By 12, she became the musician for her mother’s services at the Church of Christ and Prayer. After high school, she attended Selma University and received training in classical music and choral singing. In addition, she continued to travel with her mother and play at her mission services.

Dr. Clark moved to Detroit in 1947 and shortly thereafter organized the Southwest Michigan State Choir of the Church of God in Christ. In 1958, she recorded “Going to Heaven to Meet the King”, with the Southwest Michigan State Choir, becoming the first person to commit the sounds of a choir to record. She was also the first person to separate vocal parts into soprano, alto and tenor. She received three gold albums with the Southwest Michigan State Choir, and went on to write and arrange hundreds of songs and recorded over 50 albums.

In addition to being a songwriter, vocalist, pianist, arranger, and choir director, Dr. Clark was also president of the National Music Deptartment of the Church of God in Christ for 25 years, and founded the Clark Conservatory School of Music in Detroit. Her legacy has created and helped to shape some of the most successful gospel artists including Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Donald Vails, Commissioned, Esther Smith, Keith Pringle, Rev. Rance Allen, the late Rev. James Moore and her own daughters, The Clark Sisters. She taught that one should never try to sing, preach, teach, or reach without prayer and that Christ must always be the center of attraction and the center of one’s life.

Dr. Clark was diagnosed with Diabetes, but even as her health declined, she never lost the fire and passion for her mission. She learned to give all she had with whatever God gave her and believed He would do the rest. Dr. Clark died on Thursday, September 22, 1994 in Southfield, Michigan. The legacy of Dr. Mattie Moss Clark is one that will stand as a testament to the anointing of God and his gifts, what she accomplished is matched by only a handful of anointed vessels, cementing her standing as a exemplary woman of God. Dr. Clark would have been 84 today.

YOLANDA ADAMS NEW CLOTHING LINE


Yolanda Adams’s impressive musical range and undeniable charisma has helped her take over the Gospel world. She has accomplished what few singers before her have ever achieved and now she is branching out into the world of fashion. Yolanda recently stay down with Fox Television in Houston to discuss her new clothing line. Yolanda said:

My clothing line is definitely coming this year! We we’re trying to make sure we didn’t have any of the child labor law issues, that could have you stuck in court for several years. We finally have a America made manufacturer right here in the USA. I made my clothes as a teenager, because I couldn’t find them in the stores. So, I understand the heartache kids have with long limbs. I made the clothes with them in mind. It will be a affordable line, because I don’t want folks saying, “Yolanda Adams charging 35 dollars for a pair of jeans” And the clothes will be cute!

Yolanda is not forgetting her music career, she has a new CD coming out during the last quarter of this year. She promises some unexpected surprises on this one.

COP STOPS NFL'S RYAN MOAT'S FAMILY FROM SEEING DYING MOM: Dallas police chief apologizes for officer's behavior; family believes race was a factor.

Watch this CNN report with actual footage of the incident:


*Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle apologized Wednesday for the behavior of an officer who stopped a family outside a hospital emergency room, reports WFAA-TV.

Officer Robert Powell has been placed on paid administrative leave in connection with an incident last week in which he stopped the family rushing to visit a dying mother, detaining them for 13 minutes to write a traffic ticket.

“His behavior, in my opinion, did not exhibit the common sense, discretion, the compassion that we expect our officers to exhibit,” the chief said during a press conference.

During the traffic stop, caught on the officer’s in-car camera, Powell berated the driver, ex-Philadelphia Eagles and now Houston Texans running back Ryan Moats, 26, and threatened him with arrest for running a traffic light.

“I can screw you over,” said Powell, 25. “I’d rather not do that.”

Kunkle appeared to bite his tongue a bit when expressing regret over the officer's actions.

“When we in the command staff reviewed the tapes,” he said, “we were embarrassed, disappointed — it’s hard to find the right words and still be professional in my role as a police chief.”

Moats rolled through a red light as he and his wife were en route to Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano. A Dallas police squad car pulled their SUV over near the hospital's emergency entrance and drew his gun. Moats and his wife begged the officer to let them hurry on to her mother's bedside.

“You really want to go through this right now?” Moats pleaded. “My mother-in-law is dying. Right now!”

His wife, Tamishia Moats, ignored the cop and ran into the hospital with her great-aunt. Tamishia's mother, Jonetta Collinsworth, was struggling at 45 with breast cancer that had spread throughout her body. Family members rushed to her bedside from as far away as California.

Ryan Moats, who stayed behind with the father of the dying woman, said Powell also pointed his gun at him. He said he put his hands on the car because he was afraid that he might get shot. He tried to explain the situation to the officer.

“I waited until no traffic was coming,” Moats told Powell, explaining his passage through the red light. “I got seconds before she’s gone, man.”

Powell demanded his license and proof of insurance. Moats produced his license but said he didn’t know where the insurance paperwork was.

“Just give me a ticket or whatever,” he said, beginning to sound exasperated and a little argumentative.

“Shut your mouth,” Powell told him. “You can cooperate and settle down, or I can just take you to jail for running a red light.”

There was more back and forth. “If you’re going to give me a ticket, give me a ticket,” said Moats.

“Your attitude says that you need one.”

“All I’m asking you is just to hurry up.”

Powell began a lecture. “If you want to keep this going, I’ll just put you in handcuffs,” he said, “and I’ll take you to jail for running a red light.” Powell made several more points, including that the SUV was illegally parked. Moats replied “Yes sir” to each.

“Understand what I can do,” Powell concluded. “I can tow your truck. I can charge you with fleeing. I can make your night very difficult.”

“I understand,” Moats responded. “I hope you’ll be a great person and not do that.”

Hospital security guards arrived and told Powell that the Moatses’ relative really was upstairs dying. Powell spent several minutes inside his squad car, in part to check Moats for outstanding warrants. He found none. Another hospital staffer came out and spoke with a Plano police officer who had arrived.

“Hey, that’s the nurse,” the Plano officer told Powell. “She said that the mom’s dying right now, and she’s wanting to know if they can get him up there before she dies.”

“All right,” Powell replied. “I’m almost done.” (For the complete dialogue between the two, click here.)

As Moats signed the ticket, Powell continued his lecture. “Attitude’s everything,” he said. “All you had to do is stop, tell me what was going on. More than likely, I would have let you go.”

It had been about 13 minutes. Moats and Collinsworth’s father went into the hospital, where they found Collinsworth had died, with her daughter at her side.

The Moatses, who are black, said Wednesday that they can’t help but think that race might have played a part in how Powell, who is white, treated them.

“I think he should lose his job,” said Ryan Moats, a Dallas native who attended Bishop Lynch High School and now plays for the Houston Texans.

Monday, March 23, 2009

MUSIC 360: CHRIS BROWN ENROLLING IN COLLEGE!!?!


Chris is trying to enroll for classes at Virginia's Norfolk State University. He and his mother attended this weekend's open house at the prestigious Virginia university - and were anxious to sign up for classes.

Word is Chris' mother thinks that getting a college degree would be a good move for Chris.

And we agree. At least now, if his career doesn't rebound - he can have a degree to fall back on.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

BOARD GAME PROMOTING SAME-SEX MARRIAGE HITS MARKET: Online version of popular board game includes homosexual option as way of life???


An online version of a popular board game includes an option for players to choose homosexual marriage and child-rearing as a way of life.

The game is on the Shockwave.com website where even children can download and play a free trail of The Game of Life. The first “Game of Life” was created by Mr. Milton Bradley in 1860.

The players’ first option in the online version is to choose a persona based on pictures that clearly depict men and women. Shortly thereafter, the game invites players to choose a spouse, regardless of the potential spouse’s sex.

One concerned mother wrote to WorldNetDaily about her experience with downloading the game to play with her daughter.

“You know how kids are,” the mother told WorldNetDaily. “My daughter noticed right away (even before I did) and clicked on one of the girls instead of one of the men and then asked, ‘Mom, how come I can marry a woman?’ and then that led into a lot more questions that, quite frankly, I was not ready to talk to my 6-year-old about.”

WorldNetDaily.com followed the mother’s example and played a game as “Jennifer,” who chose to marry another woman. The course of the game eventually added four children to WorldNetDaily’s lesbian couple.

The mother claims to have posted an objection on the game’s review board, only to have it removed by an administrator.

“I went back to the website and left a very respectful review of the game just stating that this kind of thing should be left out of kids’ games and the Shockwave.com administrator removed my post, stating it was inappropriate,” the mother said. “I had no idea how insidious they were being with pushing the homosexual agenda.”

The site again followed the mother’s example, posting the following comment under the screen name “Newseditor1.”

“Your guidelines ask us to ‘keep your language safe for kids,’ yet here’s a game where children may choose homosexual marriage and child-rearing.” WorldNetDaily wrote. “Many sections of society accept this as normative, but many also would consider this too mature a theme for children. Others would consider this downright offensive. Is it appropriate to include, for example, lesbianism in this game?”

Shortly thereafter, WorldNetDaily’s comment was posted, but the word “homosexual” was altered to *****sexual,” presumably because the stand-alone prefix “homo” is sometimes used in a derogatory fashion.

WorldNetDaily sought comment from Hasbro, the company that now owns the rights to Milton Bradley games, but received no response.

The original 1860 Milton Bradley game, known as the Checkered Game of Life, was completely redesigned in 1960 bearing almost no resemblance to the original. The new game board included the winding track, spinner and plastic buildings familiar to many. (Source: www.viklife.com)

KANYE CHARGED IN AIRPORT INCIDENT: Prosecutors hit rapper with battery, theft and vandalism counts

*Six months after Kanye West's infamous run-in with photogs at Los Angeles International Airport, prosecutors have filed three misdemeanor charges against the rapper for his role in the incident.

West faces battery, grand theft and vandalism charges over the videotaped destruction of a photographer's camera.

West faces two and a half years in jail if convicted.

West was arrested at LAX several days after performing at the MTV Video Music Awards in September.

TMZ.com shot video that showed West breaking the flash of a photographer's camera inside a terminal, and his manager breaking the camera itself and accosting TMZ's videographer:


Obama on Jay Leno Tonight!!


President Obama is about to make another historical move. He’s in L.A. today to tape his appearance on the “Tonight Show with Jay Leno”. He’s the first sitting President to appear on a late night show. And I have a feeling it's gonna be MSTV (Must See TV). By the way, the Prez filled out his NCAA bracket and even though he said my Texas A&M Aggies are going to lose today, I ain't mad at 'em. His pick to win the Championship is North Carolina.

Music 360: DOTTIE PEOPLES TEAMS UP WITH BOBBY VALENTINO?


When I first heard about this, I thought it was joke somebody was playing on me. After researching the matter for myself, I found out this was real. Ms. “On Time God” joins Bobby Valentino on a intro for his new CD that was released last month. Y

In other Dottie Peoples news, Dottie has become the first African American female Artist with her own Gospel Record Label in Atlanta, Georgia. DP Muzik Group was newly founded in 2008 and will raise the level of diversity by producing music ranging from Traditional Gospel to Holy Hip Hop. The newly-founded Gospel Recording Label launched with Dottie Peoples’ new CD Do It, September of 2008. In addition to launching her own Record Label, she is stepping into a new arena. You will soon be able to purchase her new line of hair care products called Angel Ambience and a cosmetic line, Descending Dove. Manufactured in Beaumont, Texas by The Invisible Armor, Inc., these products will be sold in retail stores around the country.

Hmmm....

Interracial Drama For Disney’s First Black Princess

There’s controversy surrounding Disney’s first black american princess. While The Princess & The Frog’s Princess Tiana and the rest of the cast is made up of mainly black characters, folks are pissy that the prince is not. Prince Naveen of Maldonia and is voiced by a Brazilian actor and people say he looks more white than black in photographs from the film that Disney has released.

Disappointed fans wrote:

‘I think it’s sad that he is white because its saying that black love isn’t good enough and that black men could never be princes.

‘Disney had the perfect chance to make its first black prince, but instead it decided to go the controversial route.’

“I am very disappointed and I wished Disney had made the prince black,(and the ironic thing is the prince in the movie is white but the evil voodoo villain is voiced by a black actor and is black).’


Anika Noni Rose, the voice of Princess Tiana, says “Not only is she the first black princess, she’s the first American princess. We’ve never had an American princess. The scope and the significance is larger than people even realize.” The movie, set in 1920 New Orleans, comes out later this year.

FIRST BLACK FORMULA 1 DRIVER AT TUSSAUDS: Lewis Hamilton wax figure unveiled Wednesday in London.


*A statue of race car standout Lewis Hamilton, the first black Formula 1 driver, was unveiled Wednesday at London's Madame Tussauds waxworks museum.

"He has undoubtedly won a place in the nation's hearts for his determination and single mindedness and a place at Madame Tussauds for an amazing track record," said a spokesperson for the attraction.

Hamilton became the youngest ever Formula One world champion last year in only his second season, beating Felipe Massa to the crown on the last corner of the last race.

His wax look-a-like has him in full racing kit and holding a replica of his race helmet. It took approximately six months to create and cost $ 210,000.

As previously reported, Hamilton was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) earlier this month.

Bernie Madoff's REALITY: Ponzi schemer is caged 23 hours a day, gets bad food and few visitors

Let this marinate..

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

HEALTH BREAKTHROUGH!! Doctors Get ONE STEP CLOSER To A Cure For DIABETES!!!


Hundreds of thousands of people suffer from hereditary diabetes, a condition that destroys cells in the pancreas and leaves the body unable to regulate blood sugar levels.

Sufferers are forced to inject themselves with insulin everyday and adopt special diets to cope with the irreversible condition.

But now scientists claim a cure could be developed after cells in the liver were converted to insulin producers in research on mice.

They believe the process, described in the journal Developmental Cell, could one day lead to a permanent one-off cure for the disease.

Dr Lawrence Chan and his team at the the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, injected a gene into mice which converted stem cells in the liver to replace those damaged in the pancreas.

They discovered that the blood sugar of the mice returned to normal within a few weeks and remained that way for the rest of the animal's natural life.

Liver cells have been coverted to insulin producers before but this is the first time scientists have understood the technique and believe eventually could lead to treatment for humans.

One obstacle is that in order for the gene called neurogenin3 to bond with a cell it needs to be transported by a virus which could be deadly to humans.

Dr. Vijay Yechoor, co-author, said: "The mice responded within a week. The levels of sugar in their blood plummeted to normal and stayed that way for the rest of their normal lives."

White House Fountains Dyed Green For First Time At Michelle Obama's Request


WASHINGTON — The White House is going green for St. Patrick's Day.

The water in the fountains on the north and south lawns of the White House has been dyed green to mark the national holiday of Ireland.

First Lady Michelle Obama came up with the idea for the festive touch, said spokeswoman Katie McCormick Lelyveld. She was inspired by the St. Patrick's Day celebrations in her hometown of Chicago, where the city marks the holiday by dyeing the river green.

"It's a little piece of home for our new home," said Lelyveld, who is also from Chicago.

Lelyveld said it's the first time the water in the White House fountains has been dyed. The green hue will stay until the dye runs outs.

President Barack Obama marks St. Patrick's Day with separate meetings in Washington with Irish leaders and he'll also attend St. Patrick's Day events in the White House and on Capitol Hill.


Watch out now Michelle...don't be doin' the most. Dey watchin'!

Gospel Spotlight: NEW GROUP TO WATCH


The hills are alive with the sound of music and it’s a funky sound blasting from the mountains of Richmond, Virginia where a local group named G.I. is about to take their progressive urban sound global. Through a partnership with Blacksmoke/Worldwide and their own label BGA Music Group, GI’s debut CD “God’s Image” will hit stores nationally on April 7, 2009.

G.I. consists of four anointed and appointed young gentlemen by the names of Branden Anderson, Marlon Anderson, Curtis Langley, and Lamonte Harris. The group has been singing together across the world for 10 years. They are singers, dancers, songwriters, and musicians. It is rare that you find all of these talents wrapped up into one unit.

The young gentlemen are also entrepreneurs. The group owns and operates its own label, BGA Records, where group member/manager, Branden Anderson serves as President/CEO, and the other members hold executive positions within the company. Serving as excellent role models and being advocates of education, every member is either attending, or has graduated from college. Branden graduated from Elizabeth City State University with a bachelor’s degree in Music Industry Studies. Marlon graduated from Virginia State University with a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications. Curtis is a Music Education Major at Virginia State University. Lamonte is a Music Media Major at Norfolk State University.

This is a group to watch! I’m putting my GOSPELCONNOISSEUR.COM stamp of approval on them. Not that they will need, because these guys are destine for whatever God’s has in store for them. Watch their new video of their rousing first single “Get Up”. It’s already making its way up the Radio & Records national gospel airplay chart.

Foolywang: As Believer's Let's Not Get Caught OUT THERE


Singer BeBe Winans was booked yesterday on a misdemeanor domestic assault charge for allegedly shoving his ex-wife Debra D. Winans to the ground during an argument last month. He was briefly held at the Davidson County jail before posting $1000 bond.

Court filings indicate that BeBe had a “verbal altercation” with his ex-wife on Feb. 13 about “custody issues dealing with their children.” The incident took place at his ex-wife’s Nashville home, where BeBe had driven to pick up his children. The filing also claims: His ex-wife was telling the him of issues with the children when BeBe became irate. BeBe then, allegedly push her to the ground.

Lawd….my brother BeBe!!! Let’s not past judgement, we don’t know what actually happen. Whisper a prayer for all parties involved, especially the children.

UPDATE

BeBe has responded to publised reports of him being arrested on a domestic assault charge by his former wife. In a press release from his press agent, Patti Webster of W&W PR, he made this comment:

“To be accused of these allegations, which arose out of a child custody right dispute and my desire to spend time with our children as court ordered, is nothing less than heart wrenching. Since I choose to say nothing negative about my children’s mother, I will make no comment other than to say the allegations are inconsistent with my character and the foundation upon which I was raised and I am prayerful that the matter is straightened out very soon for the sake of our children.”

SUNDAY BEST RECAP - For those of you who care



They entered the judges room as confident singers, but after the judges gives them the truth about their talents, they leave out a little deflated. Some cried, some profess to the camera that they will continue to “sing for Jesus”. On last night, the last 10 were chosen to take the stage next week, with the hope their dreams will come true and become Sunday’s Best.

Some of the highlights:

Robin “The Unicyclist” - What was that all about really? BeBe didn’t help the audition at all when he told her, “do the rest on the bike”! Then when Tina told the poor woman,”when Sunday Best becomes a circus, you’re in”! Foolywang material

Kirk Franklin - Is it just me or is Kirk Franklin really funny? I know Kirk has always been a clown, but last night I was laughing out loud.

Sister Gomez- I thought Sharon Gomez was going to stink up the place, but she shock me. She actually was my favorite of the night. If she can get her confidence up, she might be one to watch.

Pete Roberts- He broke me down slow, with his story of being robbed; kidnapped; shot; and left for dead. If that is not a testimony of coming back, I don’t know what is.

SAMMY DAVIS JR. WIDOW DIES: ALTOVISE


Altovise Davis, the widow of singer and dancer Sammy Davis Jr., died Saturday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center of complications from a stroke, her business partner, Barrett LaRoda, said. She was 65. She was surrounded by friends and family, including her son, Manny Davis.

She married Sammy at a Philadelphia courthouse in May 1970 and were together 20 years, adopting their son Manny in 1989. Sammy Davis died of throat cancer at age 64 on May 16, 1990, five days after their 20th wedding anniversary.

My condolence go out to her family. I remember when Altovise requested Tramaine Hawkins to sing “What Shall I Do” at the Sammy Davis’s funeral. Tramaine’s performance was so moving. I don’t have that video, but here is Tramaine singing “What Shall I Do” at Bishop McMurray's service.


DID YOU KNOW? BLACK MARRIAGE DAY


This coming Sunday is Black Marriage Day, March 22, 2009! The theme this year is First Comes Love: Guiding Our Youth to Marriage. I never heard of this until about a month ago, but I think it’s an awesome project. It started in 2001 with the passion of founder and executive director Nisa I. Muhammad. The concept is to help teens, couples, and singles create healthy relationships and healthy marriages to better the outcomes for children. “We’re creating a cultural shift in the Black community to reconsider marriage and celebrate the joy that exists in spite of the pain we often experience,” Nisa Muhammad, said.

It’s funny how much our environment has an effect on us. When you grow up seeing unhealthy relationships, you are more likely to repeat the same mistakes. Let’s get behind this celebration, do something positive with your mate. To all my single folks out there, you are not exempt from this. I want you to get out there and do something positive for yourself. That man or woman is on the way…trust me!

Go to the website blackmarriageday.com, they have some ideals of what you can do to celebrate Black Marriage Day.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Friday's Foolywang: Behind Implants Go Horribly Wrong



Just leave it alone. If God didn't give it to you, maybe he didn't want you to have it. My mic is off...

Say It Ain't So: BeBe Winans Arrested For Domestic Violence!


BeBe Winans was arrested on domestic violence charges this week! His ex-wife filed charges against him after she says he shoved her to the ground during a heated argument last month. Apparently they were arguing over their children’s custody, and it escalated to physical violence. He posted $1000 bail.

Ain't he supposed to be judging Sunday's Best? Good luck with that

BLACK HISTORY SPOTLIGHT: ANNA J. COOPER


ANNA J. COOPER (1858-1964) was an author, educator and one of the most important black scholars in history.

Cooper was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, to Hannah Stanley Haywood, an enslaved woman. It is believed that her owner, George Washington Haywood, fathered Cooper and her siblings.

She attended the St. Augustine’s Normal School and Collegiate Institute starting at the age of 10 where she became interested in math and science. Upon completing her studies, she remained as an instructor. In 1877, she married George Cooper, a candidate for the ministry at St. Augustine.

After his death only two years later, Anna Cooper, wishing to pursue a teaching career, applied to enter Oberlin College. As a widow, Cooper was free to pursue greater educational opportunities and with the help of a full scholarship from the college, she earned her bachelor of arts degree in 1884 while electing to take the “Gentlemen’s Course” rather than the program designed for women. After a brief hiatus teaching at Wilberforce University and St. Augustine, she returned to Oberlin to earn a master’s degree in mathematics in 1887.

Her first book, A Voice from the South: By a Woman from the South, published in 1892, is often considered as one of the first articulations of Black Feminism. She entered the doctoral program at Columbia University in 1914 while still teaching full-time, then transferred her credits to the University of Paris (Sorbonne), earning her Ph.D. in 1925 with a thesis (written in French) on The Attitude of France on the Question of Slavery Between 1789 and 1848. She was 67 at the time she was awarded the degree, becoming only the fourth black woman to earn a Ph.D. degree in any field.

Cooper became the second president of Frelinghuysen University, a nontraditional group of schools

to be a beacon of hope for “colored working people”, in 1930. She continued to be a strong advocate for women’s education and for racial and gender equality. On February 27, 1964, Cooper died in Washington, D.C., at the age of 105. Her memorial was held in chapel on the campus of Saint Augustine’s College, where her academic career began, and she was buried alongside her husband at the City Cemetery in Raleigh.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

HOW SWEET THE SOUND RETURNS


After the overwhelming reception last year, Verizon Wireless returns with How Sweet The Sound, the search for the best gospel music choir in America. Host Donald Lawrence and Marvin Sapp will be returning for 2009. Last year eleven gospel choirs from around the country came together for a remarkable finale in Atlanta, winning cash and prizes for their respective churches totaling over $50,000. Acme Missionary Baptist Church from Chicago, Illinois was the grand finale winner of $25,000, which their Pastor Bernard Sutton said would help build the congregation a new sanctuary.
How Sweet the Sound is a celebration of church music, all church music, sung the way only a church choir can sing it. So bring your traditional, contemporary, and everything in between - we want to hear what you’ve got to sing.
Free registration for the Verizon How Sweet The Sound competition begins April 1st. For more information and contest rules log onto:

GOSPEL COMIC VIEW??


BET is continuing to explore their Gospel TV programming with the launching of Gospel Comic View- A Time to Laugh and has obtained Vickie Winans as the host for this show. They recently held auditions in Atlanta at the Uptown Comedy Center. Comedians were asked to perform a 2 minute routine in front of the judges.
I’ll keep you posted as to when this show will debut.

Everbody Is Schoolin'!MARVIN SAPP TO OPEN A SCHOOL


The Ellington Academy of Arts and Technology, a fine arts middle and high school headed by Marvin and MaLinda Sapp targets a fall 2010 opening in Grand Rapids, MI. “We are so committed to making this school a reality and we are dedicated to the children and want something that is only in their best interests,” said MaLinda.
Meanwhile, the Sapps are offering an after-school program that combines academics and arts. Opened last fall under the Ellington name, the program draws about 70 students. MaLinda Sapp said the after-school program is thriving, tripling in size since September. Students meet three days a week for up to three hours, with tutoring in math and science in addition to choir, instrumental music and other aspects of the performing arts.
Marvin Sapp is also senior pastor of Lighthouse Full Life Center Church in Grand Rapids and his wife MaLinda Sapp serves as his manager.

Good Job! Can I send you the one I got….I’m just saying!!! :)

SUNDAY BEST STARTED THIS SUNDAY

Don’t forget to tune into BET’s wildly popular television show Sunday Best on tivo or something. The premiere of the 2nd season of Sunday Best airs this Sunday March 8 at 9pm ET. The nationwide talent search gives singers from across the country the opportunity to showcase their gift on a national stage and compete for the title of “Sunday Best”. Talent searches began in January in Atlanta, Chicago, and Washington DC in addition to an online casting call to discover talent for this year’s season. .

Kirk Franklin will return to host the show as BeBe Winans and Mary Mary will resume their roles as celebrity judges. This season, the Sunday Best home moves to Atlanta’s Turner Studios. This year’s grand prize winner will walk away with a 2009 Lincoln MKS as part of their grand prize winnings.


Coming Soon: Scientology Academy?


Jada Plinko Smith's controversial school in Calabasas, the New Village Leadership Academy, is thriving!

The actress turned musician turned producer opened the doors to the experimental Scientology Academy last fall after more and more parents requested for their kids to join the home-schooling program Pinkett Smith had started for her two children!

"More and more parents were like, 'Can we come?' Then my house started to fill up. We had like 20 kids and I said, 'We might as well start a school,"' Jada said on the conception of the Academy.

Sure! Starting a school on your own accord is always a good idea!

60 children have enrolled at the Academy so far, and Jada is hoping to extend the experimental school to grades 9 through 12.

With both Pinkett Smith and her husband, Will Smith dabbling in Scientology, The New Village Leadership Academy was accused of abiding by the teachings of Tom Cruise L. Ron Hubbard!

Pinkett Smith adamantly denies this, saying the school abides by "'100 percent mastery,' encouraging students to retake exams until they score 100 percent."

We assume that means grades have been eliminated from the curriculum!

Would U send your children to Plinko's school???

Monday, March 9, 2009

Losing Religion: Number Of Non-Believers Rising In Every State


A wide-ranging study on American religious life found that the Roman Catholic population has been shifting out o of the Northeast to the Southwest, the percentage of Christians in the nation has declined and more people say they have no religion at all.

Fifteen percent of respondents said they had no religion, an increase from 14.2 percent in 2001 and 8.2 percent in 1990, according to the American Religious Identification Survey.

Northern New England surpassed the Pacific Northwest as the least religious region, with Vermont reporting the highest share of those claiming no religion, at 34 percent. Still, the study found that the numbers of Americans with no religion rose in every state.

"No other religious bloc has kept such a pace in every state," the study's authors said.

In the Northeast, self-identified Catholics made up 36 percent of adults last year, down from 43 percent in 1990. At the same time, however, Catholics grew to about one-third of the adult population in California and Texas, and one-quarter of Floridians, largely due to Latino immigration, according to the research.

Nationally, Catholics remain the largest religious group, with 57 million people saying they belong to the church. The tradition gained 11 million followers since 1990, but its share of the population fell by about a percentage point to 25 percent.

Christians who aren't Catholic also are a declining segment of the country.

In 2008, Christians comprised 76 percent of U.S. adults, compared to about 77 percent in 2001 and about 86 percent in 1990. Researchers said the dwindling ranks of mainline Protestants, including Methodists, Lutherans and Episcopalians, largely explains the shift. Over the last seven years, mainline Protestants dropped from just over 17 percent to 12.9 percent of the population.

Friday, March 6, 2009

Christ Brown's Judge is a SISTAH!!!



Drama at the L.A. Superior Court! Chris arrived into court just a while ago in his grey suit and white shirt
. He came with a whole crew of family and lawyers. Apparently everything went really quickly and Chris was granted a continuance by the judge until April 6th. Sources around the courthouse tell us Chris didn’t plead anything at all.
Also, peep the video, the judge is an AAF! He betta watch his every little step!

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Foolywang Supreme: When The Good News Goes Bad

When I saw this video, I took my coat, tried to shape it into a makeshift coffin and laid myself on the ground under my desk, asking the good lawd to take me now...God definitely has A WAY, but this is NOT IT!

White Woman Only Wants To Rent To White People


NIAGARA FALLS—Two days after a man was sentenced to probation and community service for putting up a sign as a “joke” in a public works garage that said “whites only” on a drinking fountain, city police were called to a home in the 600 block of 25th Street on Sunday to investigate another racially charged sign.

This one was clearly no joke.

No charges were filed Sunday, but police told the woman she must take down the handwritten sign on a fence on her property saying, “I rent three bedrooms [at her address to] white people Niagara Falls.” woman agreed to take down the sign under protest. The officer said the woman already had seven more signs she was planning to hang up. [source]

The 53-year-old woman told police she put up the sign after someone tried to break into her house and added, “I can do what I want. I live in America,” according to a police report.

Today's CHRIHANNA DRAMA: First Court Date



LAPD officers say Rihanna definitely told them minutes after the assault by Chris Brown last month that this wasn’t the first time.  She said he had been violent toward her in the past and that the attacks were getting “more violent” as time went on.  Surprise surprise.  LAPD also says the picture that we all saw weeks ago of Rihanna looking bruised and beat, is FAR BETTER than she actually looked right after the incident.  In the D.A.’s case file, they have pictures that are 10 times more gruesome and horrific than what we’ve seen.

So it looks like they’re going to use all that info, as well as those blood-in-the-car pics, against Chris today at the court date.  Hopefully these pregnancy rumors aren’t true either….

UPDATE: According the NY Daily News, a search warrant for the case has been seen by news sources and here’s the rundown:

Chris Brown repeatedly punched songbird Rihanna to the point where she almost lost consciousness and blood splattered all over her clothes - then threatened to “kill” her once “they got home” after the singer alerted her assistant to call cops, according to a search warrant in the case.

FIRST LADY VISITS ARLINGTON CEMETERY


First Lady Michelle Obama poses with veterans Alyce Dixon, 102, and Ester P. Corcoran, 103, (R) at Arlington National Cemetery’s Women in Military Service for America Memorial Center in Washington earlier this week in observance of Women’s History Month.

BLACK HISTORY SPOTLIGHT: RON BROWN


RON BROWN (1941-1996) was a businessman and politician who was the first black person to serve as chairman of a national political party and the first black Secretary of Commerce.

Brown was born in Washington, D.C., and raised in a middle-class family in Harlem, New York. As a child, he appeared in an advertisement for Pepsi-Cola, one of the first to be targeted specifically towards the African-American community. He was a member of JACK AND JILL OF AMERICA and attended Hunter College Elementary School and Rhodes Preparatory School.

He attended Middlebury College, a private liberal arts college in Vermont, and became the first black member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. He joined the army in 1962 after graduating and married the former Alma Arrington. After being discharged five years later, Brown worked as a welfare caseworker for the City of New York then theNATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE and attended law school classes at night at St. John’s University.

In 1980, he worked on Sen. Edward Kennedy’s presidential campaign and was soon appointed chief counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee. The next year he joined one of the nation’s top law firms, Patton, Boggs & Blow, as its first black partner. He continued to be active in politics and served as JESSE JACKSON’s convention manager in his 1988 presidential bid.

As Chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1989 to 1992, Brown reunited the Party after its defeat in the 1988 election and led it to victory in 1992. This earned him a cabinet-level appointment in Pres. Bill Clinton’s administration as Secretary of Commerce; he is widely credited with revitalizing the department.

A tireless advocate for American business at home and abroad, Brown circled the globe spreading good will with his characteristic enthusiasm and cultivated opportunities and markets for American products. In 1996, Brown and 34 others were killed when their plane crashed during stormy weather on a three-day economic tour of the Balkans for the Department of Commerce. In December of that same year, the RON BROWN SCHOLAR PROGRAM was established.

Half of Black Teens May Be Vitamin D Deficient


WEDNESDAY, March 4 (HealthDay News) -- Many teens today, especially black teens, aren't getting enough of vitamin D, the so-called sunshine vitamin that is essential for cells to function, say researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City.

Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to many chronic diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, immune system problems and inflammatory diseases.

"There is evidence that the levels of vitamin D we have been using in the past may have been too low," said lead researcher Dr. Sandy Saintonge, a fellow in general preventive medicine at Weill Cornell.

Vitamin D is measured by blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D. Currently, people whose vitamin D level is less than 11 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) are classified as deficient, but many experts believe that the minimum level of vitamin D should be at least 20 ng/mL.

Several factors can interfere with the amount of vitamin D the body produces, including diet, sun exposure, use of sunscreen and skin color. Blacks take in less of the sun's rays than whites, causing less vitamin D production, Saintonge noted.

REST OF ARTICLE HERE